President Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s anger at the Trump administration burst into view on Thursday when he said he would no longer abide by President Trump\u2019s demand to stop striking Russian oil refineries.<\/p>\n
It was a remarkably vocal expression by the Ukrainian leader of frustration with the United States, as Kyiv grapples with what it sees as a betrayal by Washington.<\/p>\n
Mr. Zelensky\u2019s remarks, in an interview with The Financial Times<\/a> published on Thursday, brought to a head days of mounting tensions with the Trump administration. It drew expressions of support from European allies in Brussels, but could be a risky move for a country that has depended heavily on U.S. support.<\/p>\n In the interview, Mr. Zelensky appeared baffled by Mr. Trump\u2019s decisions, criticizing Mr. Trump for making deals with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and for openly admiring dictators who have clung to power. Mr. Putin, the Ukrainian leader said, is \u201creal evil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can Trump be friends with him?\u201d Mr. Zelensky added. \u201cI think it\u2019s a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration has long blown hot and cold when it comes to Ukraine. But a new round of friction emerged last week, when Mr. Trump said he had reached an agreement<\/a> to immediately import Russian diesel fuel to the U.S. market. Ukraine said the move would help fund Moscow\u2019s war effort.<\/p>\n Mr. Trump upped the ante on Sunday, unilaterally declaring an energy cease-fire<\/a> between the two warring sides and calling for Mr. Zelensky to be replaced. While Ukraine shrugged that idea off, it stopped striking Russian refineries, even as Russia continued to bombard Ukrainian energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n But Mr. Zelensky\u2019s public expressions of frustration became more pointed amid concerns that Washington might cut off intelligence sharing that helps Ukraine detect Russian attacks. Then Ukraine said on Wednesday that its forces had lost some critical access to a military-grade version of the Starlink satellite network, a pillar of its battlefield communications that the Pentagon pays for.<\/p>\n Mr. Zelensky now appears to have had enough.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it. The block is out,\u201d Mr. Zelensky said when asked by The Financial Times how much longer Ukraine would maintain the pause on targeting refineries. He did not say what had tipped his decision or when the strikes would resume.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Pavel Malkov, the governor of Ryazan, a Russian region southeast of Moscow, said on social media<\/a> that a fire had broken out at an oil refinery after a drone strike overnight. A Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a classified military operation, confirmed that Kyiv was behind the attack.<\/p>\n Questions about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war against Russia grew after a meeting this month between Ukrainian officials and top U.S. negotiators<\/a>, in which some who were present said they thought the Americans made a veiled threat about curbing intelligence sharing.<\/p>\n U.S. officials said this week<\/a> that Washington had not cut back on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, and denied making any threat to withhold such support.<\/p>\n But Mr. Zelensky said in his interview that U.S. military officials had threatened to withhold intelligence if Ukraine did not stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. He also reiterated<\/a> that while Ukraine\u2019s Western partners have often used satellite data and other sources to warn of impending Russian attacks, there was no advance warning about some of the Russian ballistic missile launches this week, including overnight on Wednesday.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when Russia launched dozens of ballistic missiles, hitting Ukraine\u2019s energy infrastructure and leaving 600,000 people in Kyiv<\/a> without power. Reports that the use of the military version of Starlink<\/a> had been restricted for devices traveling faster than 100 miles per hour \u2014 the speeds needed to intercept some Russian drones \u2014 came later that day.<\/p>\n The restrictions were seen in Ukraine as a way to limit the fighting ability of Kyiv\u2019s forces \u2014 part of the Trump administration\u2019s broader pressure campaign. Mr. Trump has pushed Kyiv to stop attacking Russia\u2019s oil refineries so that Moscow can send more diesel to global markets, as high prices<\/a> threaten the Republican Party\u2019s prospects in the midterm elections.<\/p>\n